That night Thumbelina tried to sleep, but all she could think about was the poor bird lying alone in the mole’s tunnel.  She crept quietly as not to wake the field mouse.  She grabbed her bed sheet, which the mouse had knit for her out of corn leaves and soft down, and ran through the tunnel to the bird.  She covered the meek animal as much she could.  She wept quietly and hugged the bird.  Suddenly she could hear the bird’s heartbeat.  Ba bump!  Ba buMP!  BA BUMP!

Thumbelina gasped as she saw the bird open its eyes.  The bird was not dead!  The winter’s air had only frozen the bird’s heartbeat.  Her blanket had warmed the bird back to life.

For the rest of the winter Thumbelina nursed the bird back to full health.  She kept this hidden from the field mouse and mole while they secretly planned to marry her off to the mole himself.

Once spring came around again, the ground began to warm up and the bird was back to full health just in time to leave the hole for summer.  He asked Thumbelina to join him in the warm sun, flying around all day surrounded by flowers and other birds.

Thumbelina truly wished that she could, but she remembered how kind the field mouse had been to her during her time of need.  Thus, Thumbelina sadly declined the bird’s offer.  She wept as each bid farewell to the other.  The bird wished her the best of luck and Thumbelina stood at the entrance of the hole as she watched him fly away, the sun shining splendidly on her face.

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